Express: City preparing for triple signing.

The curtain came down on 2013/14 last night in Abu Dhabi as City strolled to a convincing 3-0 post-season tour victory over UAE side Al Ain in front of a packed Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.

It’s now time to look ahead and a summer of speculation and rumour awaits the champions. As you’d expect there’s a host of players linked with a move to Manuel Pellegrini’s double-winners.

The Daily Express reckon the Blues are set for a triple-whammy of signings in the coming days with Richard Tanner looking at who could be donning the famous sky blue next time out:

“City have targeted Arsenal’s out of contract right back Bacary Sagna, plus Porto pair Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando, a centre back and defensive midfielder respectively, who were close to moving to the Etihad Stadium in January.”

The piece goes on to quote City’s CEO Ferran Soriano with our chief exec stating that the champions will be looking to get their business done early during the transfer window:

“"The planning has been done already. We don't do this in the summer, we do this during the year.

“"We know that some players will be leaving because their contracts are finishing. We have some new players coming.

But it's fair to say that the base of our team is going to be the same.

Ferran Soriano

“"These players are players who are winning. Remember, we have only been working with Manuel Pellegrini for one year so we are sure next year it will be better.

“"To build a team needs time. You will see some changes in the team but not massive.”

The former Barcelona vice-president also paid tribute to a departing City star:

“"Joleon [Lescott] is finishing his contract and is leaving. Joleon has been a key player for us. Not only for what he did on the pitch but also his leadership and character in the team. We wish him well.

“"Some players leave and some new players will come. But we're not changing the base of the team."”

Elsewhere, the death of Jean-Luc Dehaene - UEFA’s Financial Fair Play investigator – may delay the case surrounding City’s breach of the FFP rules. The Guardian pick-up the story:

“Dehaene, 73, had been suffering from cancer but died following a fall in France, according to media reports in Belgium. Dehaene was chairman of the Club Football Control Body (CFCB) and it is understood he had been struggling with his illness during recent weeks. He still took an active role in the investigations and had been kept updated with all the documentation.

“City have been made a settlement offer of sanctions including a £49m fine payable over three years, reduction in their Champions League squad from 25 to 21 players, eight of which must be home-trained, and a wage freeze on that squad.

“City had argued the sanctions were too harsh and a final decision from the CFCB is still pending. “